Orochimaru watched Sasori from the side as the boy dismantled his latest prototype with practiced precision, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he spoke, his tone casual yet probing.
"Are you really this optimistic about him?"
He glanced sideways. "To the point of letting me step in and guide him personally."
Li Rong smiled faintly, his gaze never leaving Sasori's hands.
"He might become your most suitable partner in the future."
Orochimaru paused.
"Have you noticed?" Li Rong continued calmly. "His thirst for knowledge isn't inferior to yours in the slightest. He grasped the complete structure of Fire Release talismans in a single day. That level of learning speed is already abnormal."
"He doesn't just memorize," Li Rong added. "He thinks. When faced with a bottleneck, he doesn't brute-force it—he dissects the problem, finds the fault line, and breaks through from there."
"And more importantly," Li Rong said, his voice lowering slightly, "his execution ability is outstanding. He noticed the instability of mental force dispersion on his own and instinctively compensated for it by integrating sealing techniques native to this world."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a thin smile.
"An excellent specimen indeed. So—what path are you planning to let him walk?"
"The path of the Artifact Refiner."
"Heh." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. "Engraving formations onto solid carriers… that does align perfectly with his temperament."
He tilted his head, thoughts drifting.
"Given time, he might even produce a puppet army capable of autonomous combat."
"Is that really so impossible?" Li Rong countered lightly.
"You refine spiritual elixirs. Why can't he refine spiritual puppets?"
Orochimaru fell silent.
He looked down at the dull, failed elixir resting in his palm, then slowly crushed it, watching the residue scatter. A flash of clarity passed through his eyes.
"Intelligent elixirs. Intelligent constructs."
He exhaled softly. "The more knowledge one accumulates, the clearer one becomes about how ignorant they truly are."
He returned his attention to his own work.
"My latest improved formula failed again. The elixir formed—but impurities appeared that Ninja physiology simply cannot absorb."
"At first, I suspected extraction flaws," Orochimaru continued evenly. "But after more than thirty verifications, I realized the issue lies deeper."
His gaze sharpened.
"The four herbs underwent an unknown qualitative change during fusion. Their recorded properties are incomplete."
"Then you'll need to re-screen combinations," Li Rong said.
"Yes." Orochimaru nodded. "But this time, more cautiously."
Li Rong said nothing further.
He knew Orochimaru was not asking for answers. Speaking aloud was simply how the man organized his thoughts. Handing him a perfect solution now would only cripple his long-term growth.
Meanwhile, construction of the camp advanced at an astonishing pace.
The Ninja displayed a level of efficiency that bordered on absurd. Earth Release compacted foundations with military precision. Chakra allowed them to scale walls like flat ground. Materials moved, structures rose, and entire sections took shape in a matter of hours.
Watching the scene, Li Rong couldn't help but feel impressed.
Reliable, disciplined, tireless.
If not for their dangerous profession, they would have made terrifyingly efficient builders.
He made a mental note to consider additional rewards later.
Sasori's research progressed just as rapidly.
Thanks to the three consecutive material shipments personally overseen by Elder Chiyo, all constraints vanished. With no need to ration resources, Sasori devoted himself entirely to experimentation.
Only then did he truly understand the difference between engraving runes onto chakra paper and engraving them onto chakra metal.
Chakra metal was a top-tier material—exceptionally conductive, incredibly stable. Weapons forged with it were standards among high-level combatants.
Orochimaru's Grass Sword was one such example.
Even Minato Namikaze had personally commissioned a chakra-metal kunai after acquiring his Spirit Bone, sharply increasing his lethality in close combat.
In theory, it was the perfect rune carrier.
In practice, it was a nightmare.
The moment Sasori injected chakra, the energy dispersed uncontrollably throughout the metal. Before a single formation could be completed, previously engraved lines twisted and collapsed.
Attempting to suppress conductivity with sealing techniques only introduced new issues. The seal weakened engraving depth, leaving shallow patterns that were quickly erased under suppression.
Faced with this deadlock, Sasori did what puppet masters had always done.
If strength is insufficient—use structure.
He abandoned direct engraving and shifted to material design.
Iron alloy frameworks formed internal channels. Sealing barriers isolated chakra flow. Purified chakra metal was embedded only at critical nodes to stabilize adhesion.
Inspired by chakra test paper manufacturing, Sasori refined its base materials into a conductive solution and used it to "print" rune arrays onto metal surfaces.
Once circulation stabilized, he sealed the structure.
This time, the chakra stayed.
When he engraved mental runes on the reverse side using the same method, the first successful dual-rune cooperative release occurred.
Crimson flame intertwined with azure mental force.
A new technology was born.
Cheers erupted around him.
Sasori ignored them.
He dismantled the puppet without hesitation and strode straight toward Li Rong.
"Single-release runes are inefficient," he said bluntly. "If they can only fire once per battle, how are they different from explosive tags?"
He held up the rune-etched plate.
"The core advantage of your system is self-circulation. With sufficient energy, continuous release should be possible."
His eyes sharpened.
"So I still need two things. A stable energy core, and a way to integrate it perfectly."
Li Rong nodded—then corrected him.
"Not quite. These formations already draw natural energy. Why assume they can't replenish themselves?"
Sasori froze.
He immediately disassembled the puppet again, fingers glowing as he traced internal flows.
"…It's replenishing," he whispered. His voice trembled.
"If I engrave stronger formations…"
He looked up, eyes blazing.
"Can it become a true autonomous core?"
"That," Li Rong said calmly, "is the realm of formations."
"And one who can stably engrave them onto metal and wood," he added, "is called an Artifact Refiner."
Sasori stood abruptly.
"Teach me."
His voice was hoarse, desperate. "I'll pay any price."
Li Rong raised two fingers.
"Two choices."
He explained them slowly.
When he finished, Sasori answered instantly.
"The second."
Rasa's expression finally cracked.
"Sasori!" His voice carried restrained fury.
A fifty-year term was already difficult. Permanent departure was unacceptable.
Sasori didn't look at him.
"Once I choose, the bond ends by your hand."
Li Rong turned, producing two artifacts.
"These will compensate Sunagakure."
The Sage-Immortality Pearl glowed softly, verdant light flowing like breath.
"It can transform desert into fertile land within a hundred-mile radius, gather water veins, regulate rainfall, and block sandstorms. Once fully activated, the formation sustains itself forever."
Rasa's breathing slowed.
This wasn't compensation.
This was salvation.
He bowed deeply.
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